Unworthy of her mother and professor’s approval, a young artist struggles with her own identity. After a moth flies through her window, the girl delves deeper into her unique art form … this is ‘Ascalapha’, the drama-horror film from Brazil-born actress Gica Pucca. We sat down with the multi-talented South American actress to talk about making award-worthy movies and living in Los Angeles.
Welcome to the Manhattan Herald Gica. Before we dig in, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Of course! It’s a pleasure to be here. My name is Gica Pucca, and my fascination for performance began at a very young age, on the shores of Comandatuba Island, with a circus company. I was mesmerized by the possibility of telling a story with my body as the main vessel, and from there, I simply couldn’t stop. I used to attend a theater camp in Monte Verde when I was a child, took some extracurricular theater classes after school in São Paulo, and during my last year of college, I decided to pursue my education as an actress. I acquired a technical, bachelor’s, and an associate’sdegree, and now I am a professional actress working in Hollywood, creating my own stories.
Congratulations on all your wonderful achievements to date including award nominations and wins! Can you tell us about‘Ascalapha’?
Definitely, I play the lead “Girl” in Ascalapha, which was directed by Gabriel Misaki. Like the Girl, I also have my own fears as an artist. It’s completely human to feel out of place, insecure and question ourselves “is this good enough?” from time to time. This is something Misaki and I discussed on set. Everyone in the crew is an artist too, and we all share the same fears. Sometimes we’ll hear discouraging words, and we’ll have to overcome obstacles to achieve our goals, but at the end of the day, we just have to be brave to not fall into the belief we’re not good enough to do what we love.
Was it a complicated role, how did you prepare for it?
I received a lot of information in documents about the role, and it helped me a lot to understand who she is. In this project we all shared a passion for psychological thrillers. References like Dani in Midsommar, Thomasin in The Witch, M in A Ghost Story, and Justine in Raw, were my North to guide me through this role. Besides rehearsing lines and analyzing the character’s background, you have to let yourself dive into the nightmare they’re going through. Acting is a big game of making belief. I had to let myself believe that that was my classroom, my home, and my life while I was on set. The more in touch you are with the circumstances the more you feel ready when the director screams “action!”
Can you share any stories from set?
I remember the first day on set, with Misaki showing me the storyboard. It was a surprise to see a perfectly drawn version of myself on the papers in his hands. He turned to look at me and said, “Look! I drew you before we even met!” We filmed in São Paulo, and it was hilarious to see Vinícius Silvestre wearing a full-body green suit for the role of the Shadow; his amazing sense of humor had us all laughing. My favorite scene to shoot was in the pool. I had to attempt to hit a mark underwater, so I found myself throwing myself over and over into the pool; my inner child was incredibly happy. The set was beautifully crafted, and our art director, Julia Fioretti, took care of all the details. It was a pleasure to assist in hanging some of her creations on the wall. Gabriela Ahiara was one of the best film producers I have ever worked with; she made me feel at home at all times and took care of all necessities on set for all of us. “Ascalapha” was my debut film, and I met brilliant filmmakers who encouraged me even more to pursue a career in the film industry.
The film has scooped up multiple awards. We are in awe of your performance.
Thank you so much! The movie has been successfullyselected in various international festivals. So far fourteen nominations, including “Best Actress”, and two major awards at the International Brazilian Film Festival. It has been an honor to lead the cast in this movie. The wins have set the tone for everything I do going forward.
Can you tell us three fun facts about yourself?
Certainly! I’m a big fan of sword fights and medieval scenarios; I even took some fencing lessons and loved every second of it! Coming from Brazil, my favorite food is Açaí, and I’m very happy to be able to enjoy this dish here in Los Angeles as well. Other than that, traveling is my passion. I’ve mostly explored Europe and the Americas. I hope one day I can visit every continent in the world.
Totally relatable! How can people follow your journey?
Yes, people can check out my work on IMDb, Instagram, Facebook, and my Website.
